Pinless inside door handle assembly

Abstract

A pinless inside door handle assembly has a housing, a latch handle and a lock lever that snap together and require no separate pivot pin. Interrelating projections and enclosed apertures are in pivotal engagement.

1. A door handle assembly comprising:
 a housing including a first outer wall defining a first aperture therein, a second outer wall defining a second aperture therein, and a partition wall between said first and second outer walls, said partition wall defining a projection extending toward said second outer wall, wherein said first aperture, said second aperture and said projection are in substantial axial alignment; 
 a latch handle defining a latch handle projection received in one of said apertures of said first and second outer walls and a latch handle aperture receiving said partitioned wall projection therein, said latch handle having an extension thereof spanning said partition wall; 
 a lock lever defining a lock lever projection received in the other of said apertures in said outer walls, and defining a lock lever aperture receiving said projection of said partition wall; and 
 wherein said lock lever is disposed in a chamber defined between said partition wall and said second outer wall, said latch handle has a panel extending into said chamber, and said lock lever is disposed between said panel and said second outer wall. 
 
   
   
     2. The door handle assembly of  claim 1 , said lock lever defining a ramp-like surface adjacent said lock lever aperture, said ramp-like surface angling outwardly from an inner portion of said lock lever toward said lock lever aperture. 
   
   
     3. The door handle assembly of  claim 1 , said second outer wall defining a ramp-like surface angling inwardly in said chamber from an outer edge of said second wall to said aperture defined in said second outer wall. 
   
   
     4. The door handle assembly of  claim 1 , said projection of said lock lever having an inner portion thereof that angles outwardly in said chamber in a direction toward said second outer wall. 
   
   
     5. The door handle assembly of  claim 4 , said second outer wall defining a ramp-like angling inwardly in said chamber from an outer edge of said second wall to said aperture defined in said second outer wall. 
   
   
     6. The door handle assembly of  claim 4 , said lock lever defining a rump-like surface adjacent said lock lever aperture, said ramp-like surface angling outwardly from an inner portion of said lock lever toward said lock lever aperture. 
   
   
     7. The door handle assembly of  claim 6 , said second outer wall defining a ramp-like surface angling inwardly in said chamber from an outer edge of said second wall to said aperture defined in said second outer wall. 
   
   
     8. A vehicle door handle assembly, comprising:
 a housing having first and second outer walls and a partition wall defining a first chamber between said first outer wall and said partition wall and a second chamber between said second outer wall and said partition wall, said first outer wall defining a first outer wall aperture, said second outer wall defining a second outer wall aperture and a said partition wall defining a projection extending into said second chamber, said first outer wall aperture, said second outer wall aperture and said projection of said partition wall being substantially coaxial; 
 a latch handle configured to be received substantially in said first chamber and having an extension thereof spanning said partition wall and a panel from said extension disposed in said second chamber, said latch handle defining a latch handle projection received in said first outer wall aperture and a latch handle aperture in said panel receiving said partition wall projection; and 
 a lock lever configured to be received in said second chamber, said lock lever being disposed between said partition wall and said second outer wall, said lock lever defining a lock lever aperture for receiving said partition wall projection and a lock lever projection received in said second outer wall aperture, such that said lock lever is further disposed between said panel and said second wall. 
 
   
   
     9. The door handle assembly of  claim 8 , including a spring biasing said latch handle. 
   
   
     10. The door handle assembly of  claim 8 , including a resilient bumper in said first chamber for engaging said latch handle during operation thereof. 
   
   
     11. The door handle assembly of  claim 8 , including a latch cable extending into said first chamber and connected to said latch handle. 
   
   
     12. The door handle assembly of  claim 8 , including a lock cable extending into said second chamber and connected to said lock lever. 
   
   
     13. The door handle assembly of  claim 8 , said lock lever defining a ramp-like surface adjacent said lock lever aperture, said ramp-like surface angling outwardly from an inner portion of said lock lever toward said lock lever aperture. 
   
   
     14. The door handle assembly of  claim 8 , said second outer wall defining a ramp-like surface angling inwardly in said second chamber from an outer edge of said second wall to said second outer wall aperture. 
   
   
     15. The door handle assembly of  claim 8 , said lock lever projection having an inner portion Thereof that angles outwardly in said chamber in a direction toward said second outer wall. 
   
   
     16. The door handle assembly of  claim 8 , said apertures have enclosed sides. 
   
   
     17. A method of assembling a vehicle door handle assembly, comprising:
 providing a housing defining first and second outer walls and a partition wall therebetween; 
 providing a projection on the partition wall directed toward the second outer wall; 
 providing a latch handle having a first side configured to face towards the first wall, a second side configured to face towards the second wall and a latch handle aperture in the second side for receiving the projection of the partition wall; 
 providing a lock lover having a first side configured to face towards the first wall, a second side configured to face towards the second wall and a lock lever aperture in the first side for receiving the projection of the partition wall; 
 providing an aperture in one of the first outer wall of the housing and the first side of the latch handle, and a boss in the other of the first outs wall of the housing and the first side of the latch handle; 
 providing a second aperture in one of the second outer wall of the housing and the second side of the lock lever, and a boss in the other of the second outer wall of the housing and the second side of the lock lever; 
 the foregoing arrangement being such that the housing only includes three mounting members for receiving both the latch handle and the lock lever, the three mounting members being the projection on the partition wall and a combination of holes and/or bosses on the first and second outer walls, the mounting members being arranged in such a manner so as to be in coaxial alignment; 
 aligning the first side of the latch handle with the first outer wall of the housing, and further aligning the second side of the latch handle with the partition wall; 
 causing relative lateral movement between the latch handle and the housing by moving the latch handle into engagement with the housing, such that the latch handle aperture is received by the projection on the partition wall, and the aperture in one of the first outer wall of the housing and the first side of the latch handle is received by the boss in the other of the first outer wall of the housing and the first side of the latch handle; 
 aligning the second aide of the lock lever with the second outer wall of the housing, and further aligning the first side of the lock lever with the partition wall; and 
 urging the lock lever between the partition wall and the second outer wall while deflecting the partition wall and the second outer wall outwardly relative to each other, such that the lock lever aperture is received by the projection on the partition wall and the second aperture in one of the second outer wall of the housing and the second side of the lock lever is received by the boss in the other of the second outer wall of the housing and the second side of the lock lever.